


Not Alone Anymore

by MidnightKitKat



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Sick Day AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-17 05:14:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20615555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightKitKat/pseuds/MidnightKitKat
Summary: When Marinette comes to school after getting over a cold, she's surprised to find all of her classmates are warning her about a new student. Even more surprising is the fact that he's immune to Lila's charms and lies. Maybe she isn't alone after all





	1. A New Friend

It had been two days since she’d gone to school, having gotten sick from running around Paris while it was raining. While it sucked having a sore throat and a runny nose, she was relieved all the same. Being sick meant that she had the luxury of staying in bed all day, or going downstairs and watching movies while staying all bundled up on the couch. 

  
It had given her a much needed reprise from Lila and Chloe and all of the drama at school, for which she was grateful. Alya had come over at lunch and after school to bring her her homework, and she even stayed to help her with her homework. Of course, Marinette needed to wear a sick mask so she wouldn’t cough all over her, but it was nice to just spend time with Alya again. 

Alya had told her all about a new kid in their class, and how absolutely rude he was. “You don’t get it Marinette, he’s not Chloe rude, he’s stuck up rude. Won’t talk to any of us, and whenever we try to talk to him he just ignores up and keeps his nose in his book!” Alya ranted to her as she walked her to school.   
Since she’d already missed two days of school and she felt back to normal, save for a sore throat and an occasional cough, shed decided that she was okay enough to go back to school. She wore her mask just to be safe, not wanting to get any of her classmates sick. When Alya heard about it, shed taken the responsibility of walking her to school, refusing to let her be late on her first day back.

It was nice, walking to school with her, just being with Alya again and not having Lila around them. Marinette had noticed that Alya hadn’t mentioned Lila once around her, much to her relief. Maybe she had finally realized that Marinette just didn’t like Lila, and gave up on trying to make them be friends. She could only hope that was the case.

“Oh yeah, Lila was sitting in your seat while you were gone, I hope that’s okay.” Ah, there it was. 

  
“Really? Why?” She didn’t really care about why, as long as she didn’t have to sit next to her or deal with her trying to take her seat today, but she supposed she might as well let Alya spill whatever it was.

“That guy i told you about, Felix? He was assigned right next to her, and he shoved Lila out of her seat!”  
Marinette’s eyes widened at the thought of a new kid just randomly shoving someone, but then again, it was Miss No Personal Space Lila, so she couldn’t blame him. “Really? Did you see it happen?”

Alya shook her head, her brow furrowing as she recalled the story. “We were all doing our worksheets in class, and all of a sudden Lila was screaming! When I looked back at her she was on the ground, crying and holding her arm. Poor thing.. She hurt her arm and needed help with writing.. Anyways, she’s terrified of him now, which is why Ms Bustier moved her over with me.”  
“Did anyone see him push her?”

“Nope. We were all so busy with our work, and she was in the back with him… If he did anything else to her..” Her friend growled, clenching her hand around her phone. 

Looks like she missed out on all of the drama these past two days. She wondered what Felix was really like. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Alya, but she didn’t know whether or not she believed her considering Lila’s involvement with it all. 

Walking up the steps of the school, Marinette pulled her mask up to cover her nose as she coughed, pausing as she finished her coughing fit, her throat burning by the end of it. A warm hand patted her back, and when she looked up, she saw Nino behind her, offering her a plastic cup of water. 

“Thanks Nino,” she said hoarsely, lowering her mask and accepting the cup, gratefully sipping it, sighing softly as the soreness from her throat fading a little. 

“No problem Mari. You gonna be okay during class?” He asked as he followed them into the school, offering a loving smile to Alya. 

Nodding, Marinette finished her water, tossing the cup into the trash and pulling up her mask. She’d brought some cough drops with her, so she’d be sucking on those during class. They worked like a charm, but she didn’t want to waste one before class started. 

When they walked into the room, all of them jumped in surprise as Lila ran up to Marinette, hugging her tightly and letting out a pitiful wail. “Oh Marinette! Thank goodness you’re here!”

Marinette’s eyes went wide as she was hugged, panicking a little as the girl who had threatened her weeks ago and had been quietly bullying her these past few weeks hugged her tighter and nuzzled her. Seeing her panic, Alya quickly pulled Lila away from her.

“Whoa girl Marinette’s still sick, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” 

The brunette’s eyes widened, and she quickly moved away as if she had the plague. Even some of the class stiffened, and she suddenly wondered whether coming here was a good idea. 

Clearing her throat, Lila offered a less enthused smile to her. “Marinette, can I ask you a favor?” She asked in a voice so sweet it made her stomach turn. Before she could answer, Lila continued. “There’s a new kid sitting next to me, but i’m really not comfortable sitting next to him… He’s been bullying me.”

The whole class gasped at that, looking up at the empty back row. It seemed Felix has not arrived yet. “Bullying you? What did he do?” Alix growled, standing up and staring down at them, looking like she was ready to murder someone. Alix never did like bullies, and Marinette couldn’t help but wonder how she react if she found out about Lila’s treatment of Marinette. 

Trying not to seem pleased with the attention on herself, Lila shifted almost nervously, glancing at the door and then around the room. “Oh… I really shouldn’t say.. If he finds out I told all of you..”  
“If he tries anything ill kick his skinny butt!” Kim yelled, the other members of the class muttering in agreement. 

“You’re safe with us Lila, you can tell us,” Mylene added, offering the girl a sweet smile.

Letting out a soft sigh, Lila straightened her posture and smiled up at them. “Thank you all, I’m really lucky to have such a sweet class! Okay. I know you all won’t let anything happen to me.”

After pausing for a few moments, her smile fading to a look of shame. “He didn’t just push me.. He was pinching and kicking me too. He’s been giving me mean notes between classes, and they were so mean i just had to throw them away! He’s even been bullying me online, and I tried blocking him, but he just made another account to keep bullying me!”

She let the class take a minute to roar with fury, all beginning to plot with how to deal with him. “So Marinette, i was wondering if I could sit in your seat, I’m just really not comfortable sitting with him..”

Marinette frowned, looking up at the classroom, seeing several open seats. “But..” She croaked, wincing as her throat burned. Turning away from Lila, she started coughing again, bending over and taking a few shaky breaths as it ended. “There’s other seats,” She whispered, the only way she could without her throat is hurting.

Lila pouted, sniffling and looking anxiously around the room. “But I want to sit next to Alya, i feel safer with her here.”

Looking back up at the open seats, she pointed to the seat behind her. “Ivan?”

Shaking her head, Lila stepped closer to Alya,wrapping her arms around herself. “Please Marinette? I really don’t want to be near him. Besides, should you really be sitting behind Adrien when he’s sick? He needs to keep his health up for modeling!”

To her dismay, when she looked over at Adrien for some support, he shifted nervously in his seat, staring at her feet in shame. “I… I really can’t get sick Marinette… If i do, my dad might take me out of school…”

She stared at him in shock, her eyes wide with disbelief. She could understand why he didn’t want her to sit behind him, but it still hurt. 

A loud sigh came from behind her, making her jump. “You’re blocking the way,”an unfamiliar voice said dryly. Jumping out of the way, Marinette looked up, her eyes meeting a pair of blue grey eyes. 

Sighing again, he looked her up and down. “I take it youre my new deskmate?” Offering a small nod, he glanced at Lila before gesturing for Marinette to follow him. Lowering her head in disappointment, Marinette followed him to the back, sitting in the aisle seat. Setting her bag on the ground, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a cough drop, popping it into her mouth. 

She sat there in silence, her heart pounding nervously. The silence between them was uncomfortable, neither of them having introduced themselves. It wasn’t that Marinette didn’t want to per say, but her throat was too sore for her to manage. Just breathing hurt, but the cough drop helped immensely. 

She felt Felix’s eyes on her, and she stiffened, chewing her lip as he looked over her. “So, are you afraid of me too?” he asked quietly, and Marinette paused. 

Was she scared of him? She asked herself, unsure whether or not she was. Reaching into her bag, she went to pull out her notebook, and he sighed softly as she ignored his question.

Felix was certainly surprised when he walked into class today, seeing a new target for Rossi to harass. He’d quietly listened in, staying out of the class’s view, wondering who the small girl with pigtails was. Apparently this was the friend of the liar’s true seat partner, and Lila was just interested in stealing her seat, spreading more rumors about him it seemed.

He didn’t care for liars. Living with a father who was well centered in politics made it difficult for him to stomach them. He’d read the tabloids, the headlines accusing his father of an affair with a woman who wasn’t his mother. Others read of child abuse, or his father cheating, seeing other mistresses. All were untrue. Seeing strangers lie about his family, a family they knew nothing about, and involving a child into the drama, it had made him wary of opening up to anyone, afraid that they’d manipulate him like they did his father. 

This girl seemed to be wary of Rossi as well, and not as prone to believing Rossi’s claims. She’d seemed rather suspicious when she spoke, and when the class started to gang up on her, that’s when he chose to make his entrance. He didn’t mean to spook the girl, but at least she didn’t start a coughing fit. 

When he sat down, he was surprised that the girl actually followed him. Surely her friends had spread some rumors about him didn’t they?

Looking at the girl up and down, he could definitely tell she was still sick. Her forehead was a little clammy, and her eyes were red and slightly puffy. She looked tired, but whether or not that was from being sick, or talking to Rossi, he didn’t know.   
The girl was so stiff next to him, and he frowned, feeling something in his chest grow heavy at how scared she looked. “So, are you scared of me too?” He asked quietly, wondering why he was even bothering him. He never cared about what people thought of him before, so why now? 

To his surprise, she completely ignored him! She instead turned away from him, fiddling with her backpack, her hair falling over her shoulders as she leaned over. Sighing softly, he shook his head, opening his book to read, wondering why he’d even bothered asking her. 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw her pull out a pen and notebook, flipping it open, the sounds of the pen clicking and then scribbling on the paper filled the quiet air. He tried to ignore her, but the notebook came into view as she pushed it over to him. The stubborn part of him wanted to ignore it, and for a little while it won out. He managed to pretend not to see it, but the longer he ignored him, the more curiosity ate at him, and eventually he looked down to read the note. 

_I’m not afraid of you, just a little overwhelmed. I’m Marinette, sorry for having to write this down, my throat really hurts :(_

So she wasn’t ignoring him when she went down to her bag. Picking up the pen she offered, he wrote back to her. _Didn’t your friends over there talk about me?_

He watched the girl glance down at the group at the front, Lila’s laughter filling the air as she leaned over to Alya, excitedly telling her something. _Well… they did.. But I don’t believe anything Lila says. If she said that you pushed her, she probably forced herself to fall._

So she wasn’t trapped in Rossi’s web of lies. That was probably why Rossi was so eager to choose her out of everyone in the class to switch seats with, even though there were several free seats available to her. He’d wondered why she had been so determined to switch seats with her.

He wondered just what this girl could’ve done in order to upset the girl, though considering Rossi had claimed bullying just because he refused to talk to her and fawn over her like the others, he suspected that it didn’t take much to get on her bad side. 

_What did you do that made Rossi so upset with you?_ he wrote on the notebook, watching as her brow furrowed at the question before lighting up in recognition.

_Lila? Oh nothing, unless you count telling her to quit lying to my friends and telling her that I would tell them all about her lies if she didn’t stop. Why don’t you believe her lies?_ She pouted as she wrote this, her brow furrowing.

So Rossi was threatened by Marinette, interesting. He wondered what on earth this girl who smelled strongly of freshly baked bread and desserts who was barely as tall as his shoulder could have managed to do in order to make the girl feel threatened by her. 

_She claimed to know my father. My father doesn’t take the time to entertain young girls with big mouths. She also claimed to be related to a famous writer and lots of other great celebrities. Anyone with any sense, or at least a humble bone in their body, would not so openly share these with a stranger. I can recognize a liar when I see one. Boasting connections is what weak, scared children do, not truly powerful and well known figures. I should add that this is only true part of the time. There are many celebrities who boast about their connections and riches shamelessly._

_Like Chloe?_

A soft chuckle escaped him, and he nodded, sparing a glance down to the blonde in the front row, staring daggers into the side of Rossi’s face as she tried to get Adrien’s attention.

_Precisely. I doubt either of them are too different. If neither was threatened by the other, or as petty, im certain those two would have teamed up already. Neither of them are smart enough for that though._

To his surprise, Marinette giggled at that. It was low and deep, a sign that it truly did hurt her throat in order to speak, and that she had most likely lost her voice. Nonetheless, he couldn’t help but smile. 

Before they could continue their conversation however, Ms. Bustier walked into class, calling their attention to the front. The two continued to write on a piece of paper that Marinette tore out of her book so they could continue to chat, and Felix was surprised that he was looking forward to each note she wrote. She was the first person who didn’t hate him in the class, and he appreciated that. It seemed the two were alone together in the class, the only two not under Rossi’s spell, and the only two who dared to speak against her, even if he was the only one who could talk at the moment. 

Perhaps it was that silence, and that they had both had to put the effort into writing their responses, able to skip the dreaded smalltalk and have a real conversation, that had made Felix warm up. Or perhaps, it was far too early to tell, and she would only use him too.

When lunch came, Marinette had been whisked away by Alya, much to hers and Felix’s dismay. She’d barely been able to grab her bag and purse, Tikki napping inside, before the reporter had grabbed her wrist and stormed out of the classroom, fussing about how Marinette needed to go home and rest during the break.   
Marinette couldn’t even protest against being kidnapped! Her throat hurt too much, and all that came out were pitiful noises and croaks that just made her throat hurt.   
Before she knew it, she was seated on the couch, bundled in a pile of warm blankets that threatened to pull her under and sleep for eternity, and a mug of warm soup that her mother had made for her. Despite her earlier protests, she realized just how exhausted she felt now. she managed to eat half of the soup and place it on the table before she promptly passed out in her burrow of blankets, utterly exhausted and in desperate need of a nap. 

Who knew that a nap could do so much for someone? When she woke up, she was all cozy in her cocoon of blankets, feeling better than she had earlier today, and much more calm and relaxed. It was hard not to relax when you were curled up on a comfy couch, all bundled up, with a small Kwami stroking your hair softly as she gently woke her up.

“Marinette,” she cooed in a gentle tone that was similar to her maman’s whenever she was sick when she was little. “Class is in half an hour, do you want to stay here and continue to rest?” It seemed that Marinette skipping school was only okay if it was when she was sick. 

Shaking her head, she yawned, stretching out and looking up at the tinu kwami. She really should go back to school, she didn’t want to miss anymore this week. Besides, she just had a nap, she should be able to last the rest of the day. Tikki gave her a worried look when she wrote this down on her notes app, and Marinette offered to leave early if she was feeling sick later. Satisfied with this compromise, Tikki flew to her shoulder, hiding behind her pigtail while Marinette got ready for classes.

Alya was gone when she woke up. According to Tikki, she’d left not long after Marinette fell asleep. She didn’t blame Alya for this, she wouldn’t want to just watch her friend sleep for an hour either. Besides, she was probably cuddling with Nino back at school. ‘It must be nice to have a boyfriend,’ she sighed softly, her thoughts drifting to a certain blond. She was still upset with him though. He hadn’t stuck up for him, even though they were friends. While she understood his concerns, she was still hurt that he didn’t speak up earlier when LIla tried to steal her seat.

Her thoughts spread to another blond as she walked to school, bundled up in her jacket and scarf, munching on crackers as she crossed the street. Felix seemed nice, even if the whole school thought otherwise. Marinette knew how it felt to have the class against you, to feel like everyone was out to get you, and that you were alone.   
It helped at first, having Adrien there with her, knowing that she wasn’t alone, that there was someone who could help her, stick up for her. To her dismay though, the model hadn’t done anything close to that, simply avoiding her gaze during any confrontation, and coming up to her afterwards to try and smooth things over. She frowned at the memories of all their talks, how Adrien tried to be the peaceful mediator to someone who isn’t interested in anything other than making her life miserable. 

Felix though.. He seemed different, and she could only hope that it wasn’t her wishful thinking that brought up these thoughts. He knew right away that Lila was lying, and had taken action, even if it was just telling her to follow him. Still, he had been kind to her, and it had been a long time since she’d felt such kindness. To show her appreciation, she’d brought a box of treats for him, carried in a plastic bag that her maman had placed it in, so it was germ free. Since she didn’t know what he liked, she had requested for one of each cookie type, and her parents were all too happy to accept her request.

Hopeful that Felix would like her gift, she walked into the school, stunned to see her classmates all circled around the very blonde she was hoping to see. He had a neutral, almost bored expression on his face, but she noticed the way his hand tightened around the strap of his bag, betraying his nervousness. It wasn’t like she had to walk close to hear what was going on, her classmates yelling accusations of him hurting Lila. 

Frowning, she made her way to the group, pulling up her mask as she neared them.   
“Seriously that’s not cool dude,” Nino shook his head in disgust. “If i hear that you treated Mari like this…”

A new wave of anger rippled around the group at this, and a small bubble of pride and happiness swelled in her chest at them protecting her. If only they were protecting her from Lila, and not her friend. She tried to speak up, but no sound came from her. Wincing, she forgot that she couldn’t speak yet, and went to unwrap another cough drop, only for Kim to bump into her, knocking it from her hands.   
“Whoa what the!” Turning around, Kim’s brown eyes met hers, and she offered a small wave. “Oh! Sorry Marinette, I didn’t know you were there..”

The class quickly turned their attention to her, all suddenly going quiet, sheepishly waving before leaving the circle, sending dirty looks at Felix as they fall retreated to the class. It seemed that now that she was here, they weren’t as willing to threaten and gang up on Felix, which was a relief

“What… are you here to yell at me too?”

Felix sounded tired, he sounded so tired.What had they been saying to him? How long had they been doing this?

Frowning, she shook her head, pulling out her phone and typing out a message before showing him._ I couldn’t yell at you even if I tried, which i don’t want to do. Are you okay?_

The tension seemed to leave his shoulders, and he offered her a small nod. “I’m fine. Are you feeling better?”

_Yup! I napped all of lunch, but I still wish i was sleeping if I’m honest with you._

“That’s good. So, shall we head to class?” 

Glancing at the clock on the wall, she frowned. _But there’s still ten minutes left. Did you eat yet?_

Now it’s his turn to look sheepish, and he shook his head. “Our classmates.. Kept me busy im afraid. I’ll be alright without a meal though.”

Well that wouldn’t do! Shaking her head, she pocketed her phone, and took him by the hand, dragging him over to the bench under the stairs before rummaging through her backpack. 

“Marinette, you don’t have to-” she pulled up a granola bar and a croissant, relieved she’d had some in her bag. Tikki must have slipped it in, which meant there was definitely chocolate inside. If only she’d managed to heat it up..

When he didn’t take it, she frowned, and held them out to him, motioning for him to take it. After a few seconds of hesitation he took the treats from her, looking down at them before looking back at her. “Are you certain?”

Smiling brightly, she nodded her head, and he relented, taking a bite of the croissant. His eyes widened as he swallowed, and he quickly ate the rest of the treat. Satisfied, Marinette leaned back against the bench, closing her eyes and relaxing while he ate his makeshift lunch. 

After a few minutes she heard a happy sigh, and she knew he was done. She waited until the bell rang to open her eyes though, enjoying the quiet peace. Sighing, she reluctantly stood up, following Felix into the class, ignoring everyone’s glares at the blonde. Taking her seat, she pulled out her notebook, flipping to a clean page._ Don’t worry about them, I’m not going to let them do that again. I’ll talk to them and tell them what you’re really like, or at least that you are a lot nicer than they think. _

A small smile spread on Felix’s face as he read the note, and he pulled out a pen to write with._ Thank you Marinette. At least you’re on my side._

She smiled brightly at that, and was so happy that she’d managed to befriend Felix. It was nice knowing that someone was on her side, and it was nice having someone to talk to. Perhaps sitting in the back wasn’t as bad as she’d first feared. The sound of pen hit paper caught her attention, and she looked down as he slid the notebook over, snorting at what she read.

_So, do you always carry spare croissants in your backpack?_


	2. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On her second day of school, Marinette is surprised to find that Alya is not at all happy with her placement in the back.  
(To all you Alyanette readers, i hope you like this chapter <3

The next day, the two returned to their seats in the back, and Lila had made no fuss about the new seating arrangement. In fact, when the brunette came to school the day after, her smile had been all too wide, and she practically skipped into her seat next to Alya.

It was Alya that didn’t approve of her change of seats. When she came to class, at first she didn't notice Marinette, just smiling at Lila and sitting down. When Ms. Bustier called attendance though, her head had snapped to the back, eyes wide as she realized that Marinette was in class. A frown covered the reporters face, and she glanced at Lila before turning around, her pen tapping her paper all day as she waited impatiently for lunch.

When lunch came, Alya was quick to yank Marinette out of the room and into the hallway. “Girl'' Why are you with Felix? You don’t have to sit by him you know.”

Frowning, Marinette nodded her head. “I know. I wanted to sit next to him.”

She gasped at that, her eyes widening a little. “You wanted to sit next to him? But hes… hes so mean! He bullied Lila!”

She sighed heavily, crossing her arms and leaning on one leg, tilting her head to the side as she looked at her friend. “Alya, he's not like that. He’s really nice, and have you actually seen him do anyt-

“Oh don't tell me that that's what this is about,” Alya groaned, rubbing her temple. “Marinette, i know you don't like Lila, but that doesn't mean you have to hang out with the only other person who doesn't like her. Really i don't know why you two don't get along, Lila is great!”

They’d had this conversation many times, and she was tired of having to argue with why she didn't like Lila. why did she have to have a reason to not like someone? Alya didn't like Chloe, and she certainly hadn't loved Sabrina, even though Sabrina wasn’t really all that bad. Why was it that she wasn't allowed to not like this one person?

Thankfully, she didn't have to answer. Felix walked out of the class,holding Marinette’s backpack to her. “You forgot this.”

Her eyes widened, not having realized that she'd left it behind when Alya dragged her out. “Thanks Felix!” She quickly took it from it, pulling it over her shoulder.

“It’s no problem really. Are you ready to head to lunch? Or..?”

“Nope! I’m ready! I’ll see you in science Alya!” Offering a small smile and a wave, she hurried over to the cafeteria with Felix, holding onto his sleeve a little. 

As they walked down the stairs, he turned his head to look at her, a hint of worry showing in the raise of his brow. “Are you alright?”

Nodding her head, she sighed softly, her shoulders sagging. “Yeah… just.. Sad that she keeps trying to get me to be friends with Lila. Why can’t she just accept that I don't want to hang out with her? It really shouldn't be a big deal.”

They walked inside the cafeteria, grabbing a lunch tray and getting in line. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “I’m afraid you’d know better than I. After all, I don’t know Cesaire as well as you do.”

That was true. He really had only been here for a few days, and already the odds were against him. She didn’t blame him for not knowing, and she offered him an apologetic smile. 

“Anyways, it seems that your voice is back.”

Looking up in surprise, her smile lit up. “Yeah! My Maman gave me this tea that soothed my throat, and I passed out as soon as I got home from school. Nearly scared her to death when I woke up at dawn and came downstairs for breakfast.”

Chuckling softly, he moved and got a salad and a sandwich. She reached out and got a sandwich and some crackers. Once they sat down, she pulled out a thermos and poured its contents into a bowl, sighing happily at the smell of hot soup. “First croissants, now soup,” he teased. 

Blushing, Marinette quickly put the thermos away, quickly deciding not to pull out the box of cup noodles and the second thermos that had plain hot water in it. “My mom wanted to make sure I had something my stomach could hold,” she quietly explained, dipping her cracker into it and taking a bite. 

Nodding in understanding, he took a bite of his sandwich, wrinkling his nose at the taste. “Remind me to make my own lunch tomorrow,” he said after he swallowed. Smiling, Marinette looked up at him, offering to share her soup.

“Marinette, you’re sick, you really shouldn’t share your food with me,” he chuckled, receiving an adorable pout. 

“I still have some in my thermos,” she grumbled, sipping at her soup. 

He smiled softly at the gesture, but still shook his head. “You should keep it in case you want some later. I can suffer through a gross sandwich. Besides, I still have my sandwich,” he pointed out.

She reluctantly agreed, and she left him in peace as she ate her soup, no doubt trying to save her voice for later. He didn’t mind the quiet though, pulling out his book from his bag and reading it while he ate.

Even though she’d been forced into the back during Mme Bustier’s class, she was able to keep her seat for Me Mendeleiev’s class. Lila sat next to Nathaniel, and Felix had been placed by Ivan, sitting right behind Marinette. Admittedly, she was sad that they weren’t sitting together, but she was happy that she got to sit with Alya all the same. 

Thankfully Alya hadn’t bothered her about sitting next to Felix, and they made plans to head to her house for the afternoon. Alya wanted to show her some new information of an idea for the Ladyblog, and wanted her opinion on it before she posted it. Thankfully, she didn’t ask if Lila could come too, and Marinette had been all too happy to agree. 

Much to the class’s relief, there was no homework for science, and they all quickly left the classroom, eager to leave school as fast as possible. They stopped by Alya’s locker so she could grab her notebook, but to Alya’s horror, it was missing. 

“Where is it?!” She asked in a panicked tone, quickly searching the locker for the spotted notebook. 

“Alya? Are you looking for this?” Marinette’s face fell, and she sighed softly, withholding a groan. Turning around, she saw Lila, holding the notebook they were looking for. 

“Yes! Thanks Lila, you’re a lifesaver.” She quickly took the notebook, hugging it to her chest before putting it safely in her bag. “Where did you find it?”

“You left it on your desk back in Mme Bustier’s class. I meant to give it to you at lunch, but I forgot. You know how my ADD is,” she sighed sadly, looking down and rubbing her arm.

“You’re all good girl, no worries. I’m just glad you found it, I really needed it.”

A curious gleam in her eyes, Lila looked up at Alya. “Really? What for?”

“Oh just a theory for the Ladyblog,” she shrugged. 

“The Ladyblog?” she asked excitedly, quick to grab onto this piece of information. “What’s it about?”

To Marinette’s surprise, Alya seemed a little uncomfortable, and she scratched the back of her neck. “Oh, well.. I was gonna show Marinette it and get her opinion on it before i shared it with anyone else..”

Sparing a glance at Marinette, Lila frowned, looking back up at her with a pout. “Oh of course.. I get that it’s something that you could only tell your best friend. I get it.. I’ll just go leave you two besties be then.” Sniffling, she turned to leave, only for Alya to sigh and reach out to grab her shoulder. 

“Wait Lila that's not what I meant.. It’s just, Marinette’s been there for me since i first started the Ladyblog.”

“If you want, you could show me and i could tell you whether or not it's right! Ladybug has told me all about how her power and how it works. Did you know she can fly?”

Alya’s eyes lit up for a moment, but then she frowned. “No she cant.”

Turning back around, Lila nodded her head eagerly. “She can actually! She just doesn't do it because it takes too much energy.”

“Flying takes more energy than running on rooftops?” Marinette asked, not impressed at all by her claims, for obvious reasons. 

“Oh Marinette, I don't expect you to believe me,” she said sadly, sighing softly. “You never seem to believe me.. I could say that the ocean is blue and you still wouldn’t believe me.”

“Technically the ocean isn't blue,” a voice sounded from behind Lila. Marinette smiled as she met Felix’s grey eyes, but Alya huffed. “The ocean only reflects the blue color of the sky. It’s only blue because of that reason, otherwise it's clear.”

Lila stammered at his claim, quickly shrinking away from him. 

“Are you stalking Lila you creep?” Alya hissed, pushing Lila behind her. 

Rolling his eyes, Felix walked over to a locker and unlocked it. “Of course not Cesaire. I’m simply coming to my locker, which is right here. Is that a crime?”

“No, but like I’ll believe that,” she grumbled. 

“It doesn’t matter what you believe, it’s the truth.” Grabbing something from the locker, he carefully placed it in his bag. Turning back to them, he raised an eyebrow, “Are you three just going to stare at me? And you call me a creep..” Seeing Marinette’s pout, he quickly added “not you Marinette. You aren’t a creep.”

Chuckling, she smiled at that, and waved as he locked his locker and left. “Ready to go Alya?”

Nodding, Alya slowly relaxed. “See you Lila,” before Lila could say anything, Alya and Marinette left the room. 

It was a quiet walk to the house, and it wasn’t until they got up to Marinette’s room that Alya finally sighed and relaxed. “What is his problem?” she whined, flopping against Marinette’s chaise. 

Marinette popped a cough drop in her mouth, shrugging. “What did you want to show me?”

Quickly sitting up, Alya pulled out her notebook, quickly flipping through the pages. A frown covered her face, and she gasped in horror. “It’s gone!” She wailed, flipping back and forth in despair. 

“What’s gone?” Marinette frowned, hurrying over to sit next to her, only to see that several pages were carefully torn out of the book. 

“My research!” 

“Did you make a copy of it somewhere?”

Nodding her head miserably, she pulled out her phone. “I did.. But it isn't finished.” She showed Marinette the phone, and she scrolled through the document. It was a draft on the Ladyblog, just waiting to be sent. 

To her horror, it was information on the Miraculous. On how it worked, on Kwami’s, and on how the two were connected. This was all the things she’d heard Alya talk to Trix about, and what Rena Rouge had asked Ladybug about. She’d refused to answer, but it seemed that the Kwami hadn’t minded to share. 

“Alya.. What are Kwami’s?” she asked, pretending to be confused.

“Oh! They’re these adorable little creatures that look like animals. I think that they match whatever animal the superheroes are based after! So Ladybug would have a Ladybug Kwami, Chat Noir a cat Kwami, etc etc.”

“Where did you get the idea of Kwami’s from?” she asked carefully.

This made Alya pause, as if just realizing how suspicious all of this sounded. No one other than the superheroes knew about Kwamis, everyone except for Alya, of course. 

“Well…” she frowned, chewing her lip. She looked so conflicted, and Marinette decided to just go ahead and ask.

“Alya? Are you one of the Miraculous Holders? Are you Rena Rouge?”

Alya looked horrified, then disappointed, and then.. Relieved. “How did you know?” 

Shrugging, Marinette handed her back her phone, leaning back against the chaise. “You really don’t think that I'd recognize my best friend as a superhero? Besides, you always seem so happy after Rena appears in a battle. I figured that either you were her, or you were her biggest fan,” she teased, gently bumping her. 

Laughing, Alya shook her head, smiling. “Nah, Ladybug holds my heart.”

“Uh oh, does Carapace have competition?” 

“What do you mean?”

“Alya, you flirt with Carapace as Rena. Plus those goggles make a terrible mask,” she giggled.

Alya groaned, but chuckled. “I tried to convince him to change them, but he refuses. He says they're “Totally tubular!” 

She squealed and wrinkled her nose. “Oh god that's terrible!” she laughed. 

“Oh tell me about it. He keeps coming up with turtle puns! Did you know that he even asked Adrien to help him with it? Apparently Sunshine’s a punster.”

Adrien liked puns? What was it with the blonde’s in her life loving puns? Hopefully Felix didn’t like them.   
Catching her look of disgust, Alya snorted. “Hey, don’t judge my boyfriend. You make puns all the time.”

“Point taken, but that doesn’t mean I have to like other people’s cringy puns.”

“Touche.”

The two giggled a little at that, and sighed in amusement. They sat in comfortable silence for a while as Alya read over her theory again. 

“Do you think I should post it?” she asked softly. 

After a moment of thought, and a glance up at her bed where Tikki was hiding, she shook her head. “No. It’s a good post Alya, but no one should have that information except for the Miraculous holders. Besides, what if Hawkmoth or Mayura saw it? We don’t know if they have this information, and we can’t risk them knowing. Two super villains having all of this information definitely wouldn’t be good. What if someone figures out you're Rena Rouge if you post this? It just.. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Chewing on her lip, she watched as Alya took in all of the information. Would she listen to her? Or would she choose to post it anyways?

After several minutes of silence, Alya sighed, and pressed a few things on her phone before setting it down. “There. I deleted it.”

Marinette blinked in surprise, her shoulders sagging in relief, releasing tension she hadn't even known as there. “Wait really? You did?”

She nodded, removing her glasses and closing her eyes, leaning her head back against the chaise. “You were right. That information.. It should only belong to the superheroes.. Besides, I didn’t even think about Hawkmoth knowing anything about it.. Thanks Marinette, I’m glad I asked your opinion about it.”

Blushing a little, Marinette smiled, leaning her head against Alya’s shoulder. “I am too.. And thanks for trusting me.”

Wrapping an arm around Marinette’s shoulders, she pulled the smaller girl closer, sighing contently. “You know, I never realized now nice it would be to have someone know i was Rena Rouge. In comics and movies, people always have to hide their identities, and it's always so angsty and dramatic. I always wanted a secret that only I could have, it was a dream of mine actually.. But.. When Nino found out i was Rena, I realized how ice it was, being able to share that part of my life with someone. I’m glad you know too. Promise you won't tell anyone about Nino and I?”

Marinette nodded, holding her pinkie up, which Alya chuckled at and locked her pinkie with it. “I promise Alya. your secret is safe with me.”

“And if you get a Miraculous, promise to tell me?” 

She paused at that, hesitating. She already had a miraculous, but on the rare chance that Chat chose her to have a miraculous, she figured she could tell Alya. “I promise.”

“Oh! Wanna hear another part of the theory i had? I'm not gonna post it of course, but it's really cool!” After Marinette nodded, she sat up eagerly, leaving her arm draped over her shoulders.

“So there's the seven main miraculous, the first ones we saw. Ladybug, Black Cat, Bee, Fox, Turtle, Butterfly, and Peacock right? Well after looking at the other miraculous holders that showed up, I realized that the new miraculous holders all had something in common! So there's the Horse, Snake, Dragon, and Monkey, right? Well all of them are a part of the Chinese Zodiac! I call this new group: The Zodiac Miraculous!” 

Alya offered her a big wide grin, and Marinette stared at her in awe. She had put all of that together? And it was just a theory? If only she would fact check Lila.. the good this girl could do..

“That's incredible!” It wasn't even a lie, she was genuinely impressed. “So which zodiac do you think i would have?”

“Hmm.. Well, you're so jumpy, maybe the rabbit?” she teased, tickling Marinette’s sides. Shrieking, she quickly rolled off of the chaise, whining.

“Alyaaaa!”

Laughing, Alya shook her head in amusement, putting her glasses back on. “Just kidding. I think you’d do good with any of them. I just hope that Ladybug gives me a Miraculous when you get yours. Then we could work together!”

Marinette smiled at that, her heart warming. She wished she could tell her that she was Ladybug, and that this whole time they’d been working together… but there was too much of a risk. After Hawkmoth was defeated, then she’d tell her. 

“I can’t wait for the day that happens. Until then, I’ll stay your number one fan.”

“You might have to fight Nino for that role,” Alya teased.

“Oh he's gonna down!” She laughed. 

The two laughed at that, returning to a comfortable silence. Marinette picked herself off of the floor, moving to sit on her computer chair. Alya sprawled out on the chaise, relaxing and enjoying the afternoon free of homework.

“Hey Alya? Why didn’t you want to tell Lila about your theory?”

“Why?”

She shrugged, pulling her leg up and hugging her knee. “I dunno… I just thought that maybe you would want “Ladybug’s BFF” to know about it.”

“Well.. I did… but I’ve always shared my theories with you first.”

It was true. Ever since Alya got her number, she had eagerly spilled all of the details she found out about Ladybug to her. Whether it was a theory about who she was, or figuring out how many spots were on Ladybug’s suit-which she totally didn't transform afterwards so she could count for herself, and realize that she was right-, Alya always told her first. Not even Nino was the first, because Alya knew he only listened to humor her. 

“Is that the whole reason?”

With a sigh, she shook her head, staring up at the ceiling. 

“No… Lila keeps promising me an interview with Ladybug or Chat Noir. she keeps talking about how well she knows them, and.. At first I was so excited about it all. Ladybug’s best friend! But.. The interview never came… I was so upset, and I was ranting to my sister about it, and then she asked me about that one interview I got with Ladybug, and asked me how i got that. Then i realized.. My best friend, who I kept brushing off, was the one who sent me that impossible interview. I just.. I realized that I should really be putting my attention to.

“Don't get me wrong! I still love Lila and all, but after hearing about her disease.. It made me wonder what else she was lying about. This was the one that seemed the most fake, and I just chose to stop following that lead.”

Marinette was stunned. She never thought that her best friend would stop believing Lila, or at the very least, start questioning her claims. 

“Really? So… Do you believe her about Felix?” she asked softly.

Alya’s expression turned cold, and she huffed. “I don't know what to believe about him. He’s a jerk to everyone in the class. But.. he is nice to you, so he can’t be all bad, right? I mean, you like him better than Lila, and she’s a sweetheart!” she laughed.

“Yup.. A sweetheart..” she muttered. 

“Look.. I don't know what you see in that guy, but as long as he doesn’t hurt you.. I’ll tolerate him, okay?”

Perking up, Marinette leaned forward in her seat, swaying from side to side. “Really? You mean it?”

Chuckling at Marinette’s adorable expression, she nodded. “Yeah, I mean it. Adrien better hurry up before you get stolen by another blond though.”

“Chloe?” she frowned, wrinkling her nose.

“No girl!” she laughed, bending over and hugging her stomach at the thought. “That girl only loves three things: money, power, and Ladybug.”

“What about Adrien and her parents?”

“I guess I could add those to the list.”

“Wait but if it's not Chloe then who?” It couldn’t be Rose, she was into Juleka, and Mylene was into Ivan.. “Aurore?”

Sighing, Alya shook her head. “Girl you’re hopeless, you know that?”

“What? I am not!”

“Are too!” 

“Alya just tell me!”

“No way, if you can’t figure it out then i'm not telling.”

“Alya!” she whined, moving to kneel beside the chaise. “Please tell me?”

Humming, Alya sat up and leaned forward until her face was inches from Marinette’s. “Nope,” she booped her nose.

Whining, Marinette flopped on the ground. “You're horrible!”

“Yeah but you love me.”

“.... Yeah i do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! It's chapter 2! I was so surprised to see that so many people wanted to see more chapters of Felix and Marinette, and I'm all too happy to give them! I know this chapter didn't have much Felix in it, but i really wanted to write more Alya. I don't plan on being really salty with her in this fic, so sorry to all of the Alya salt fans. I just really want to write a healthy and good friendship for Marinette, and so that's what's gonna happen! Don't worry though, there will still be lots of Felinette to come, this chapter was just more for setting things up and to get an idea of where i could go from here. Let me know what you think? I  
Thank you all again so much for reading my fic! I don't have a regular update schedule, so just keep an eye out. I also post the chapters on my tumblr if you want to read there ^^  
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/moonlightkitkat


	3. The Ripper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Paris is under attack by a new Akuma, and while she has several allies by her side, the battle doesn't seem to be going any easier.

“Chat Noir! Look out!” 

Ladybug threw her yo-yo out to him, the cord wrapping around his waist as she pulled him out of the way from the Akuma’s attack. The Akuma called himself “The Ripper,” and whatever he touched would rip in half.His hair was black with white streaks, his leather suit ripped haphazardly, his boots torn and rough. His skin was a pale gray, and he wore fingerless gloves, his nails long and black, sharpened like claws. He’d decimated half of Paris already, and Ladybug had to get far too many others to help in the fight.

Carapace was in charge of protecting the citizens with his shell. It seemed that only their weapons were unaffected by the attacks, so he was extremely important to this mission. Queen Bee had been in, but she was recharging, her sting only managing to keep him still long enough for them to locate the akumatized object. Vipereon was there just in case, waiting on a rooftop, silently watching the fight and waiting for the right moment to set the timer. 

Chat Noir had been distracted with helping a stray citizen get away when The Ripper had set his sights on him. His back turned, he’d been seconds away from being ripped in half, a sight that she didn't want to see. The battle had been going on for far too long, and she knew that they all were starting to tire, while The Ripper didn’t show any signs of stopping.

“Are you okay Chat?” she panted, freeing him from her cord. He looked panicked, his ears up and alert, but he nodded.

“Yeah, I’m fine, thanks Ladybug.”

“Don’t thank me yet Chat… Carapace! Cover me!”

The green clad hero turned to her and quickly ran over, shield ready as he stood guard in front of her. Chat prepared his baton, ready to protect her as well.

“Oh no you don’t Ladybug!” 

She quickly used her lucky charm, only to be utterly confused as she saw that there was only a foam block that fell into her hands. “How is this supposed to work?” she muttered.

Carapace grunted as he forced back the weight from The Ripper’s attack, and Chat let out a yell as he slammed his baton into him like a bat, launching him across the street. “Whatever it is, think quick M’Lady. We’ll buy you some time.” He and Carapace rushed forward, making The Ripper go on the defensive. Ladybug rushed up to the rooftop where Vipereon was, holding out the foam block for him to inspect. 

“Any ideas Vipereon?” She asked, desperate for some help. 

Taking the block from her, he hummed in thought, looking it over. “Oh! Ladybug, have you ever been in a foam pit before?”

“A foam pit? No, why?”

“Well, when you fall into a foam pit, its extremely hard to get out of, unless you know how. It works sort of like quicksand in a way. The more you struggle, the more you sink.”

Eyes widening in understanding, she took back the foam block. “I get it! Okay, do you know where a pit is? One large enough that it would be difficult to climb out of?”

Nodding, he led her over to a skate park, which was thankfully empty. It seemed that even the skater kids weren’t willing to risk being out during such a dangerous Akuma. She ran to the concrete pool, and nodded. This would do. “Vipereon, wait here for me okay? I’m going back for Chat and Carapace, then I’ll bring them here. When you see me, start the timer just in case. We only have one chance of this working-

“But a second chance might be needed, got it. I’ll be waiting Ladybug.”

Hope swelled in her chest as she swung across Paris, the sounds of battle getting louder and louder. She hid behind a chimney as her transformation fell, and Tikki ate her cookie as fast as she could before she transformed again. Unfortunately there was no time to rest this time.

When she made it back to them, she barely had time to take in the sight of the broken neighborhood. Streetlights cut in two, cars torn to pieces from how many times Chat used them as shields or weapons to throw at The Ripper. While midair, she threw her yo-yo at him, catching his arm and yanking it into the air. With a hard tug, she threw The Ripper into the air, and he went skidding on the pavement, too surprised to recover fast enough. She landed in front of Chat Noir and Carapace, both of them looking absolutely exhausted. Queen Bee had returned, frustrated that she couldn’t get The Ripper to hold still long enough for her to use her power. 

“Ladybug! Please tell me you have a plan!” she pleaded, stepping up behind Ladybug and between the boys. 

“Don't worry, I have something planned. Do you three know where the skate-park is?” The two boys nodded their heads, and Queen Bee wrinkled her nose, scoffing.   
“What’s a skate-park going to do to help us?”

“Trust me Queen Bee, I have a plan. We need to lead The Ripper to there, Vipereon is waiting for us.”

The four leapt away as The Ripper lunged for them, and Carapace threw his shield at him. It hit him in the head before returning back to him, and he hurried to the rear of the group, ready to defend them from any attacks.

The Ripper growled as they ran, a purple butterfly symbol appearing before his face. “I know Hawkmoth, they won’t be getting away from me!” Letting out a battle cry, he raced after them, grabbing a hunk of metal and throwing it at them as hard as he could. “I’ll rip you to shreds!” he roared.

“Head’s up!” Carapace cried, leaping into the air to block the metal piece. 

Queen Bee whimpered a bit, and Ladybug sympathized with her. She was scared too, but their plan would work. It had to.

It felt like ages to get to the skate-park, but to her relief, she saw Vipereon waiting where she left him, looking incredibly anxious. “Vipereon, now!”

“Who cares what they're planning? I’ll slice them to pieces before they get a chance!” The Ripper yelled at Hawkmoths apparent warning. 

“Bee! Get to Vipereon!”

“You don’t have to tell me twice!” there was a flash from Vipereon's Second Chance, and she practically flew over to him as she swung her top to help her get there faster. The two ran for cover, on the other side of the pool, ready to use her power if the plan didn’t work.

“Chat, get ready!” Nodding, he tightened his grip on his bat, and the three parted. Throwing the foam into the pool, she spared a quick glance at Carapace.

“I need a boost.”

He quickly fell to one knee, his shield raised over his head. “I’m ready!”

Running to him, she jumped onto the shield, using him as a spring. His added strength threw her high into the air, and she launched her yo-yo at The Ripper. Grunting, she yanked him into the air. For a moment, she made eye contact with him, and horror filled his eyes. He’ll be fine.

“Chat, now!” she yelled as she threw him down to the pool. Leaping into the air, Chat yelled and slammed his baton into his back, slamming him down into the pit. 

As soon as he touched the block, it started to multiply, and he let out a terrified scream as he was suddenly surrounded by foam blocks. They rose to the surface from the speed they kept multiplying, filling up the pool faster and faster. He struggled to stay on top of the pile, but just as Vipereon told her, he started to sink the more he moved.   
He tried to keep his hand with the scissors above the pit, trying to stop how quickly they were spreading. She latched her yo-yo onto it, yanking it out of his hands and throwing it onto the cement. Carapace slammed his shield into it, and the scissors broke in half. 

The Akuma came flying out, desperate to return to Hawkmoth, but Ladybug was ready. She captured the Akuma, purifying it before setting it free. Grabbing one of the foam blocks, she threw it up in the air. “Miraculous ladybug!”

She didn't stay to watch the ladybug’s fix all of Paris, far too tired for that. Carapace was helping the now harmless person out of the pool, and Vipereon headed over to her, Queen Bee at his side. 

“Good job Ladybug, your plan worked perfectly,” he smiled. Returning it with an exhausted one of her own, she leaned against Bee, resting her head on the taller girl’s shoulders.

“Its thanks to you you know, I never would have figured out how to use it if it wasn’t for you.” A small blush formed on his cheeks, and he smiled. 

Clearing her throat, Bee looked down at her, pouting. “What about me? I wasn’t able to do anything! Why send me over with him?”

“You were my second plan, in case he started to get out. I knew you would’ve used your Venom to stop him in time for us to grab his scissors. I’m just glad that we didn’t have to use it.”

Chat Noir and Carapace joined them, and ladybug offered them both a tired smile. “Are you two okay? Thanks so much for everything.”

Chat smiled and nodded. “I’m fine, not a single scratch on me! Could definitely go for a catnap though,” he chuckled. 

“Oh dude i second that!” Carapace laughed, stretching and yawning. “When I get home, its snoozefest time.”

“I could use a spa day myself, care to join Ladybug?” Bee asked hopefully.   
“As good as that sounds, I doubt that I’ll be able to enjoy it much when I'm transformed.”

She frowned, and sighed. “Good point. So, who’s taking my miraculous this time?”

“I can take you if you want,” Chat offered. “Ladybug, wanna take Carapace and Vipereon?”

Pausing for a moment, she shook her head. “Carapace, do you mind going with Chat?”  
Both boys looked surprised, and Chat looked touched. “Really Ladybug, you trust me with his identity?” 

She smiled, nodding her head and moving away from Bee. “I do. Carapace, are you okay with him knowing?”

He nodded, wrapping an arm around Chat’s shoulders, just like he always does to Adrien. “Of course Ladydude! Now go get some rest okay?”

“I promise I will,” she chuckled. “Chat, wanna meet up after we get the miraculous back?” 

“Usual place?”

“Usual place. Oh! Before we go,” Ladybug put her fist out, and Chat quickly pounded his against hers, others quick to follow.

“Pound it!” They laughed before parting ways.

Ladybug and Vipereon headed to his boat, his arms wrapped around her waist as she carried him over the rooftops. “You know, it would be a lot easier to get around if I had something like you and Queenie do,” he chuckled as she set him down. 

“Its okay, i'm a strong girl,” she teased, flexing her arms. 

“I have no doubt about that,” he smiled fondly, taking off his miraculous. Sass flopped into his hand, sighing softly. 

“You did well Luka,” he praised him, making Luka blush.

“But i didn’t do anything.. I was just waiting and watching.”

“Exactly. A good snake knows when to watch, and when to strike. You did well.”

She couldn’t hear his heart song like he could always hear hers, but she had a feeling that it would be singing an anthem of pride and satisfaction. “Ready to come with me Sass?” she asked, holding out her hand for the miraculous.

“Of course Ladybug. Until next time Luka,” he bowed.

“See you Sass.” waving, he gave the miraculous to Ladybug, and Sass vanished.

“Thank you for trusting me Ma-I mean, Ladybug.”

Freezing, she felt her heart stop, and she looked at him warily. “What.. did you almost call me?”

“You’ll think it's silly, but I almost called you Ma’am,” he chuckled, running a hand through his hair in embarrassment. “I don’t know why I did that though.”

She relaxed at that, and shook her head, smiling. “Oh, so that's what it was. Sorry, I don't know why I freaked out so much. I guess it's because I'm tired. I have to head out, thank you for your hard work Luka!” waving to him, she quickly left, groaning softly. Why would she think he’d say her name? There was no reason why he would. It didn’t make sense.

Their usual spot was their code word for Fu’s house. No one but them knew about the master, well.. Them and Hawkmoth. 

She flew in the back way of his apartment, knocking on the door.   
The door opened, and Fu’s familiar face greeted her. “Ah, welcome Ladybug. You made it here before your partner this time. Come on in.”

Stepping inside, she looked around the small apartment, smiling softly at the decor. He’d hung up several posters of the temple and some of the tapestries he'd had in his old home. He had a small green couch, which was far too comfortable. A small bamboo coffee table sat in the center of the room, a few sitting mats around it for when she and Chat Noir visited. 

The Miracle Box was still hidden in the gramophone, resting on a small grey bookshelf, where he had many books of the miraculous hidden on the shelves. A few Kwami were around the apartment, they seemed to like to explore the new space. 

She was immediately greeted with a swarm of kwami, all hugging her and squealing. Laughing, she tried her hardest to gently hug them back. “Well hello to you too!”

Another knock came from the door, and as Fu opened it, the Kwami immediately left her, looking to Chat and tackling him to the floor. She laughed at the sight, and handed the snake miraculous to Fu. “As much as I’d love to stay and chat today, I’m afraid I have to go home.”

Fu nodded, placing the turtle miraculous back onto his wrist, the bee kwami in his other hand. “Of course Ladybug, thank you for your hard work today. You are welcome here anytime.” She smiled at that, and offered a polite bow to him. Looking down at the floor, she laughed as she saw Chat still surrounded by the kwami, giggling as they accidentally tickled him as they bounced on his stomach. 

“M-My Lady! L-Ladybug, help!” he laughed, raising a hand for her to help him up.

Snorting, she pulled him to his feet, shooing the giggly kwami away. “Alright you all go on! You had your fun.” They all giggled and waved their goodbyes to them, and Chat sighed with relief.

“Thank you Ladybug, you saved me,” he smiled, kissing her hand. Rolling her eyes, she playfully shoved him.

“Oh yeah, you were in such danger from a bunch of cuddly kwami Chat. What danger you were in,” she teased. “I have to go, I’m sure Tikki’s even more exhausted than I am. She didn’t get much time to relax after my Lucky Charm.”

Nodding in understanding, he dropped her hand, his smile softening. To her relief, he hadn’t been quite as pushy lately, and had stopped asking her on dates and confessing to her. She had no idea what the change was, but it was a relief nonetheless.

“Tell Tikki I said hi okay? And rest up, you deserve it. Can i ask you something?” he asked as she started to turn away,

“Why did you let me know that Nino was Carapace? I thought you said that it was important to keep identities secret.”  
She paused for a moment, sighing softly. “I still think that, but we’re the only ones who keep the miraculous full time. With Hawkmoth acting up more and Mayura too, I think it’s time you know who everyone is. I can’t always run and get everyone, and I think it’s important you do too. Besides, I don’t like knowing that I know who everyone is but you don’t. We’re partner’s Chat, and that means we both need to know what’s going on, not just me feeding your information bit by bit. I’m sorry about that by the way..”

Chat shook his head, offering a small smile. “I know why you did it. But thank you Ladybug. Do you think we could meet up before patrol tomorrow to talk about it?”

She didn’t think she had anything going on tomorrow, so she nodded. “Of course kitty, I’ll see you tomorrow. Enjoy your cat nap,” she teased, flicking his bell before heading home, ready to collapse and sleep for eternity. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Felix this chapter! I know I promised some Felix this time, but I really wanted to write an akuma attack, and Felix just didn't seem to fit here. So instead, take some Chat Noir! No salt!! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I hope you all enjoyed it! I promise that next chapter will have lots and lots of Felix, so please be patient with me!  
I decided that I'm fixing the Ladynoir partnership. I'm tired of the power balance, and I want to fix it. Chat still has a lot of development to go, but this chapter was written as though he actually learned something from his time as Misterbug. All I can say is, Chat will be taking battles far more seriously, especially since Mayura is here now.  
Queen Bee will be keeping her miraculous, but there will be a change for her, same as with Kagami. These girls are keeping their miraculous if its the last thing they do.  
Carapace was fun to write, and honestly i really did love writing the fight scenes. I had battle music playing on my laptop as I wrote, and i was imagining the battle playing out in my head as i wrote it!(Fight scenes are my favorite if you cant tell) One thing i cant stand is that Carapace always uses his power when he really could just use his shield. Like, buddy you don't have to waste your power, just pull out your shield and use it!!  
Also, Ladybee is a thing and i love it. I really love the idea of Ladybug warming up to Chloe, and don't worry, Chloe has lots of growth to go through too. anyways, that's enough of me rambling, thanks for reading!  
leave a comment maybe?  
If you want more content from me, check me out here! https://www.tumblr.com/blog/moonlightkitkat

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all for reading this! This took me ages to write, but im really happy with it! This was an ask from my Tumblr, go check it out if youre interested!  
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/moonlightkitkat  
Leave a comment maybe? Pretty please?


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